Top American sailors honored

Etchells world champion Bill Hardesty and International Sailing Federation Sailing world champion Anna Tunnicliffe were named on Wednesday as the US Sailing’s 2011 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year.

“This is a huge honor,” said Hardesty after receiving word of the award. “The long list of past winners is very impressive and includes people who I have always considered to be the best in the world.”Tunnicliffe joins the rare company of four-time winners” JJ Fetter Isler (1986, ’91, ’97, ’00) and Ted Turner (1970, ’73, ’77, ’79). Only five-time award winner Betsy Alison (1981, ’82, ’84, ’93 and ’98) has eclipsed them.

“I’m honored to win the 2011 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award,” said Tunnicliffe. “It is a great acknowledgment of Team Maclaren’s success in 2011. Molly [Vandemoer], Debbie [Capozzi] and I worked incredibly hard to achieve our 2011 goals and we are now focused on our 2012 goal – to win a gold medal in Weymouth.”